Officials said Dr. Catherine "Kitty" Houghton, 70, was stabbed in her neck and torso in the lobby of the Hampton Inn just before 9 p.m. Monday. She was taken to Littleton Regional Hospital, where she died of her injuries.

Police arrested Rodney Hill, 37, of West Danville, Vt., at the hotel. Investigators said there is no apparent connection between Hill and Houghton, and the attack appears to be random.

"We're alleging that a murder occurred, and he stabbed her in the neck and the torso," said Senior Assistant Attorney General Susan Morrell.

Houghton was in New Hampshire for a school trustee meeting at the White Mountain School in Bethlehem. She attended the school as a child and was just elected to the board in 2010. The meeting was over, but Houghton decided to stay one more night so she could sing with the school choir at rehearsal Tuesday evening.

"Our school is eternally grateful for her support, her service and the example she set for us. This loss is not just the White Mountain School's loss, this is a loss for the world. We've lost a truly bright light," head of White Mountain School Timothy Breen said.

Hill was charged with second-degree murder. West Danville is about 15 minutes from the Hampton Inn. Investigators said they have not uncovered a motive in the stabbing.

"We're in the very early stages of trying to determine what was their relationship, what was the motive," Morrell said. "So I cannot comment too much on that. At this time, we don't believe they knew each other. We believe it was a random act."

Investigators said several 911 calls were placed from the hotel and that Hill was taken into custody by police within minutes of the stabbing. It's not clear if Hill was a guest at the hotel.

Officials at the White Mountain School said students and faculty were reeling with grief.

"From her work in the Peace Corps to her career in the U.S. Foreign Service to her countless volunteer hours, she touched many with her words and her actions and her deeds," Breen said.

Hill is being held without bail at the Grafton County Jail. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for Feb. 5.

There has not been a homicide in Littleton since 1999.

According to the White Mountain School, Houghton had a doctorate in Linguistics from Stanford and spoke 14 languages. She picked some of them up while traveling the world working for the financial arm of the U.S. Foreign Service for more than two decades.

She learned to fly while living in Africa in the 1990s and had obtained her commercial pilot's license.

"She will be remembered for her kindness, her keen intellect, her love of music and her adventurous spirit," Breen said.